Bose QuietComfort1 Reviews
3 of 5
MSRP 249.00Description: The QuietComfort™ headset significantly reduces noise and produces Bose quality audio all at the flick of a switch. Utilizing patented Bose technology, previously available only to the military and private pilots, this innovative headset actively monitors and counteracts unwanted noise and reduces it before it reaches your ears. The headset recognizes what you're about to hear and compares it to what you want to hear - music or silence - and corrects for the difference.
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Use the QuietComfort headset at home, at the office, on an airplane, or while commuting to reduce irritating background noise instantly. Once you reduce the noise, you 'll find the music from your CD's, DVD's, or computer comes through clear and full with lifelike Bose sound.
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Weighing just 5.4 oz and with cushions which nestle softly around your ears, you may even forget you have them on. Combating noise, and enjoying high quality audio, has never been so easy or so comfortable.
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<li>The earcups, marked left and right, are angled to fit the shape of the head.</li>
<li>The earcups rotate front to back, applying uniform pressure around the ear.</li>
<li>The headband adjusts up to three full inches to fit a variety of head sizes.</li>
<li>Soft, foam cushions comfortably nestle around the ears, not on the ears.</li>
<li>Mechanical design features make this headset very easy to use.</li>
<li>Two AAA alkaline batteries power the headset for approximately 80 hours of use. A red light indicates the headset is turned on. The light will flash when remaining battery power is below 8 hours.</li>
<li>The Hi / Lo switch provides two sensitivity input levels increasing the variety of audio sources which can be used with the headset - from a home computer or stereo, to personal audio devices, to in-flight entertainment systems.</li>
<li>The 1/8" headset plug fits virtually any audio source. Also included is a ¼" adapter for home stereo use, and a dual plug adapter for use on some aircraft.</li>
<li>A clothing clip provides a means to attach the battery box to a pocket or belt.</li>
<li>An extension cable (36 inches long) provides added freedom of movement and increased accessibility to audio sources.</li>
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User Reviews

Overall Rating:

Value Rating:

Submitted by
trisweb
a Audio Enthusiast

Date Reviewed: January 10, 2005

Bottom Line:

These headphones are, in a word, decent. To those who swear by Bose products, I don't understand you. Though the first reviewer was obviously not serious, the second was obviously a Bose zealot, and should be treated with equal scrutiny.

The quiet-comfort headphones do serve their purpose -- they offer comfortable listening with decent sound quality and useful noise-cancelling features. However, they are not the headphones they ought to be for the exorbitant price of $250.

First, sound quality is lacking. The midrange frequencies (~4-8khz) are harsh and overemphasized, and the bass is the definition of boomy. There is absolutely no bass clarity, and voice playback is noticably unrealistic. These headphones do NOT have a flat frequency response at all and should not be considered audiophile grade for any purposes. But that said, they sound decent, and the everyday listener will probably not care that they don't sound the best.

To sum it up, these headphones are another amazing feat of the Bose marketing department. Someone in their engineering department must have a skewed ear or something, because all the headphones and products I hear out of them consistently have the same weird frequency response... yet, the marketing department continues to (quite sucessfully) make the public believe they are the best on the market. The bottom line: these are mediocre to good headphones; there are much better offerings on the market. But they do their job, and if your ear likes them then by all means, enjoy them.